Railroad-switch



(No Model.) 7

1?. BROWN.

RAILROAD SWITGH. No. 517,727. I Patented Apr.'3,' 1894.

I INVE'NT ail Toall whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BROWN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RAl LROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,727, dated April 3, 1894.

I Application filed November 3, 1893- Serial No. 490,388. (No model.)

Be it known that I, FRANK BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cincinnatl, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Railroad Device, of which the following is a specification.

I My invention relates to improvements in rallroad switches, the objects of my improvements being to afford facilities for the automatic closing and operation of such switches when the same are left open, and to automatically open such switches by railroad engines or cars leaving the side-tracks as hereinafter described. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top view of a closed switch with my improvements; Fig. 2 a vertical view of the lever A; Fig. 3 a vertical View of the lock B.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The rails H. H. and J, the connecting rods F, F F F and D and E, the lock B, and

levers A, A constitute the frame work of a split switch with my improvements. The levers A and A are attached to the connecting rods F and F? by means of bolts at 0, 0, and move upon the bolts 10, p, which pass through track ties and are held in position by nut s. .The lock 13, attached to the con- 1 necting rods D and E, consists of the interlooking teeth 7', friction plate 15, elliptic spring to, case or box 1;, to which the elliptic spring is attached by a bolt and nut ZZ, as shown in Fig. 3.

A switch when equipped with myimprovements isoperated as followsz-By means of the switch stand L, and the connecting rods D, E, F, and lock B, the switch is thrown to an open position, (this movement does not disturb the parts of the lock B, in their relation to each other,) and the free ends n, n, of the levers A, A are brought to and against the rail J the attached ends 0, 0, receding from the rail. The free ends n, n, are higher than the rail they are brought in contact with. The forcible contact of a tappet attached to a locomotive engine pilotwith the vertical surface next the track rail of the end n, of lever A, or A causes the lever to move on the bolt 10, and draw the connecting rod E, thereby releasing the lock B, by causing the teeth 1 of rod E to move upon the corresponding teeth of rod D, which several movements force the rails H, H, by means of the connecting rod-F or F as the case may be, to a closed position. During these switch-closing operations the working parts of the switch stand L and the connecting rod D remain stationary. Such parts are rerails, and without the tappet necessarily coming in contact with lever A When it is desired that a locomotive engine shall enterv a side track it is necessary turned to the position they should occupy to that the tappet shall be so adjusted that it will not come in contact with lever A.

I am aware that prior to my invention antomatic switch stands were in use, making it possible to open switches automatically by engines leaving the side track, or to close them automatically by engines on the main track passing over the switches in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, such opening or closing being effected by the entrance of the engine wheel flanges between the heads of main track and switch rails. I therefore do not claim such devices broadly,

but

-What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In switches, levers A and A pivoted at- 2. Lock B to which is connected the connecting rods D and E, substantially as shown.

FRANK BROWN.

Witnesses:

W. W. PEABODY, .In, J. A. CONANT. 

